Disillusional
by MangaAnimeLover
Summary: The Third Shinobi War left Sakura very little hope; left her seeking a new meaning in life. Itachi, no longer bound by the Akatsuki, stumbles across this lost blossom, and though her hatred for him has remained, she realizes that things have now changed. Itachi X Sakura. *LEMON!*
1. 0: The War

Summary: _The Third Shinobi War left Sakura very little hope; left her seeking a new meaning in life. Itachi, no longer bound by the Akatsuki, stumbles across this lost blossom, and though her hatred for him has remained, she realizes that things have now changed…_

Main pairing: Haruno **Sakura** X Uchiha **Itachi**.

Other pairings: Matsuri X Gaara, Hinata X Naruto, Temari X Shikamaru, and a few others. These will **not** play a part of the fanfiction, but they will be hinted at or mentioned.

Credits: All characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto! I have not invented any of them myself. (It might happen that I add a small character here or there. This will be clarified in Author Notes beneath the chapters if so). The story itself was developed, written, beta'ed, and posted by **me**. Which means that all reproduction, stealing, reposting (also elsewhere), claiming as your idea, and so on, is highly intolerated! If any of this takes place, I would like to be notified. Thank you!

Warnings: This fanfiction will contain foul language, character deaths, violence, blood, dirty/sexual scenes, and the general rating of the fanfiction is 15+. Please, do not read if you are younger than 15. Thank you.

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**Chapter 0: The War**

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Tsunade had sensed it coming. How one news after another spread across the country, left more and more people stiff and awkward by mistrust, not only toward the attackers but also their own passive Hokage.

Of course, she had taken the happenings into consideration, but she wished no war; she wished merely to speak to the leaders from Sound and Rain, hearing them out for the reasons behind their small regular border attacks. Not much had to be done to keep them at bay, but the whole point was not how many people she lost – it was the fact that she knew they were distracting her and planned something bigger, and that it was working.

For unknown reasons, the Hidden Sound and the Hidden Rain had decided to work together, despite logic. This was also an important issue she wanted to discuss with the two leaders, even though she knew that their company as it was, was enough of a threat. They were, after all, the only two countries who easily had created bigger destructions and doses of chaos in Konoha.

Orochimaru and Pein. Why would they work together?

During the few days she had arranged personal meetings with them and set out for her dangerous errand, they had set their plan into work, and both countries had attacked, Sound from east and Rain from west. Tsunade was informed and turned around as fast as possible, but even by the time she returned to Konoha, death and chaos had already swept into the city. Much had been destroyed and many killed – both ninjas and civilians.

As if this was not war enough, Tsunade immediately gathered all her troops and leapt into the war, not with as much eagerness, but at least as much strength.

It required no more than this. The Third Shinobi War had officially begun.

Sakura, being one of Tsunade's best medical ninjas, was assigned to be a field medic working by the eastern warzone, while Tsunade stayed in west. Everything seemed to go quite well for them, but that was until Orochimaru sent his specially trained ninjas in; there among Sasuke. And then, when it could not go any worse, Pein also set his primary strength in; the Akatsuki.

The threat became worst at the west end where the Akatsuki attacked, and ninjas rushed to the west in order to help out. There among the majority of Sakura's friends.

This was the last time she saw most of them.

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Two years had passed since the war.

Tsunade had managed to lead her people to victory, despite great loss, and the enemies had to withdraw their forces in order for the rest of them to remain alive. Since then, neither Sound nor Rain had made as much as a single move on Konoha.

A great loss, which had touched all in Konoha deeply, was the loss of Uzumaki Naruto. He and Sasuke fought their last fight, ending up killing each other. Somehow, this seemed to be the last happy ending the two of them could have after all what had happened to both of them.

But the people whom the dead had left behind were in terrible grief, unable to find peace, like birds flying bewildered round above and ocean, looking for somewhere to rest. It seemed impossible to find that spark of happiness, that glint of hope, and – worst of all – the meaning of life.

Sakura, having survived the war, too felt this unstoppable meaninglessness. There was no more for her to do here. Yes, she could work for Tsunade and help rebuilding the lost part of Konoha, but she found no meaning it in anymore. She needed to get away from the feeling of loneliness.

So she took her departure.

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Thank you for reading the prologue! ^_^

It might not be the most exciting thing in the world, but it contains a lot of information that you will need to know for future chapters.

Take care!

Love,

MangaAnimeLover 3


	2. 1: Against the Cold

**Chapter 1: Against the Cold**

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Even after three days, the rain did not seem to want to cease.

Ever since she cast a final glance at her hometown and turned around to leave, reminding herself of Sasuke, the tears of heaven had fallen. Not even once had the sun broken through the heavy dark clouds. It was as if the sky shared her sorrow – but she was better at hiding it, she thought. She had promised herself to stay strong.

She did not really know where she was headed. All she knew was that she had stumbled across a lone cave in the outer area of the Fire Country, and she had sought shelter there after more than one day in the cold rain. Using her skills, she had managed to keep herself warm, well-fed, and hygienic for the few days she had stayed there. Her only problem was the loneliness. But as it was now, not even Konoha could solve her problem. She was not lonely because of the lack of company; she was lonely because of the loss of her friends. Staying in Konoha where all their memories were would merely worsen her situation.

For once, she wanted to be free; she _needed_ to be free. She needed to be the independent woman she had brought up to be. For once.

A moderate sized fire crackled at her socked feet, warming her partly. She shuddered by the cold winds penetrating the cave now and then, and she pulled the blanket tighter around herself, wishing that it had been a real living person instead of a mere piece of fabric.

When she looked out through the cave entrance she could see the chain of small mountains that separated the temperate Fire Country from the subtropical Wind Country. In between the two major ninja countries was the smaller and rather insignificant River Country, in which Sakura once fought and killed the Akatsuki member Sasori. The memories brought a wry smile upon her face.

River Country was also where the Akatsuki had had one of their main bases, but it had been discovered and destroyed years ago. Now, she doubted that any of the still living former Akatsuki members wished to be there. They, too, must have had memories that they wanted to get away from.

All thoughts about the Akatsuki slipped away when the flames were blown a bit too close to her feet, surprising her with their unexpected warmth. She drew her legs closer to her body and hugged her knees, resting her chin on her kneecaps.

_Should I proceed through River Country and into Wind Country? I need something to do, and the best choice for me would be to seek out medical jobs. I need the money. And, after all, I prefer saving people to killing them, _she thought and ran a hand through her semi-dried hair. _And I really long for warmer temperatures. This is killing me._

Small rumbles emerged from the dark roof of clouds, and Sakura decided to wait with the travel until the weather became at least a bit better.

Clearing her mind of all thoughts, she drifted off to sleep.

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Sakura opened her eyes instantly the moment she felt a presence.

Said presence, however, was not what she had expected to see. On the other side of the dead bonfire, a fox with its two cubs was sniffing through her food bag. Sakura remained silent and observed the animals. The fox seemed to try and open one of the cans, oblivious to the fact that it was being watched by human eyes. The cubs were tense and followed their mother's movements intensely.

At first, Sakura was smiling; a thing she had not done in a long time. It was unhygienic and unpractical to let wild animals search through her food bag, but she liked the scene. Sometimes, she thought, everything would be better if she had always just been a primitive animal without the sensitive human feelings and bonds. Without the ability to feel sorrow if her relatives were killed or lost.

The fox pulled out a can of mackerel and stubbornly tried to bite it open. It was almost amusing to watch. Perhaps it was not so easy being primitive after all, her mind added. The cubs joined the 'fight' against the can, and they jabbed it softly, taking turns. They reminded her of cats playing with a ball, not really knowing what to do with it.

Her smile faded. They also reminded her of Naruto.

Without thinking, she moved, her mind telling her to stand up and help them. She had helped Naruto with so many various things through the years that helping him with opening a can would not have surprised her much.

The foxes noticed her immediately. One cub almost yelped in surprise. They disappeared out of the cave incredibly fast, and Sakura, whose instincts told her to say something, stopped in her track. She was yet again reminded of her loneliness and of how she would never be able to help Naruto with anything anymore.

_I must not cry,_ she told herself sternly and stood up. _Even though it is hard, this was the first rule we learned in the Ninja Academy. I have to __**learn**__ it._

Sometimes, being hard with herself helped her. It reminded her of her reality, and of how this was something she had chosen, herself. Already from the beginning, she had been told the consequences of the ninja life. Death could not be avoided, ever.

Sakura picked up the slightly tattered can and opened it. She poured the mackerel bits out in a groove in the flat stone just outside the cave entrance. When the foxes would come back – if they ever would – they would not have to chew in the aluminum can anymore. Its sharp edges could tear their tongues or palates open. She wished not to be the person behind such accident.

The empty can was folded once and thrown into a garbage bag that she carried around in her belt. Then she poured some water onto the still slightly smoking embers and killed the heat entirely. Rolling her blankets together, she stuffed them on to her backpack. She strapped on her ninja sandals and a few other equipments, shouldered her bags, and left the cave nearly as natural as she had found it.

The weather was better than it had been in days. The sun was still out of sight, and the sky was like a grey blanked draped over the world, but the temperatures were not so cold, and at least it had stopped raining. When she would arrive in Wind Country, she would never have to worry about too much rain again. In River Country, however, she should not expect only dry weather.

Double-checking that both her backpacks were fastened, she started running.

She had to get farther away from everything that reminded her of her past, if she were to survive the post-war period.

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Sakura had almost forgotten how nice it was to finally challenge one's endurance after years of mourning and inactivity. She found that she thought less depressive thoughts when she had to put all her focus into avoiding obstacles, avoiding falling, or just keeping the right direction in the hurry. Being in such hurry reminded her of the social and carefree days of her past, but without reminding her that her life was not like that anymore. It was a way of deceiving herself. She liked it.

The sun was setting slowly behind the mountains in the horizon; the mountains that separated River Country from Wind Country. As it seemed now, she could reach Suna in less than two days, however only if she took a good rest between each day and kept up the speed from today. It would be tough on her, but as a ninja she needed to be in shape. She would not let herself fall behind anymore. It was a part of her past that she had promised herself to never return to.

Sakura had slowed her pace. The landscape had turned from forest and rivers to mountains. She had to cross a chain of mountains to continue. However unpractical for the inhabitants of River Country, the chain of mountains dividing the land also helped keeping enemies away. Shinobi from flat countries had very little expertise in mountain climbing, which could result in loss of ninjas when crossing the mountains. Sakura, however, though still from a rather flat land, had travelled a lot outside the Fire Country and had crossed dozens of mountains. She was beyond danger.

The mountain she was climbing now was a rather small one, with a secure path leading all the way to the other side. Back in their genin days, Naruto had had a mission here with Team Nine regarding some troubles in a gold mine in the village Katabami Kinzan. Gai, having travelled to Wind Country more times that one could count on both hands, had discovered this certain route and had recommended it to everybody crossing the River Country's mountains. Since Naruto and Team Nine had returned rather unharmed from their mission, Sakura had noted this certain route as the one she preferred.

It took her half an hour of climbing upwards before she saw the first sign of a village. A small inn located by the path had its windows lit up by lamps, and a tempting smell of food was spreading from the open window in the front. This was her chance to eat something else than can food. She needed the strength, the kunoichi justified, but there was nobody than herself she needed to persuade. Nobody would judge her for eating and resting in an inn. Not anymore.

She turned off the road when she reached the inn. The wooden front door creaked warningly as she entered.

"Hello," called Sakura in a friendly tone. "This is an inn, right?"

A low, round woman with grey hair and glasses popped her head out from the kitchen. Her eyes almost lightened up in bliss by the sight of the visitor. She greeted Sakura with an eager handshake while almost pulling her further into the inn.

"Welcome, welcome, my child! Come inside and have something to eat, hm? My name is Sanshou."

Sakura could not help but smile. When was the last time she had experienced so much happiness in another person? She could not recall.

"My name is Sakura."

She was placed by a large table, and her backpacks placed by a wall. The old woman returned to the kitchen.

"It is a very long time since I have last seen a Konoha ninja," she spoke from the kitchen while rummaging through some drawers. "Since the War, not many of you leave Fire Country. Which is understandable, of course, but most of my former customers were from Konoha. I can feel the changes the War has brought with."

She returned to Sakura with a tray with chopsticks, a small cup of saké, a cup of tea, and a glass of water. Sakura was overwhelmed by the amount of drinks, and thanked politely.

"Yes, we have lost many. The remaining shinobi and citizens are all helping to rebuild Konoha as it was before the War. It looks promising." She wanted to seem strong. She could not expect Sanshou to know that Sakura's generation was the generation with most sacrifices; that Sakura was one of the people with greatest losses.

"I still do have one regular customer from Konoha. Perhaps you know him? His name is Rock Lee," the elder spoke with a special tenderness that surprised Sakura. "He used to come visit me once each month. But ever since the War, he has only been here a couple of times. He says that there is still a lot of work to do."

Sakura nodded and sipped at the saké. It was warm and spicy in her throat.

"I do know him, yes. He is a friend of mine."

"Ah, would you like something to eat? My specialty is the Curry of Life," offered Sanshou proudly. "Perhaps you have heard of it from Lee?"

"Oh, that is very nice of you. But my stomach is not very good with curry," Sakura refused politely.

"It works amazingly against the cold," persuaded Sanshou.

"No, thank you, ma'am. I am more of a rice and fish type. It is a tradition in my family. Do you have fish?"

"Of course," answered the lady and disappeared into the kitchen once again. This time, she rummaged through the freezer.

"Salmon or tuna? No, wait, we have run out of tuna…" came her muzzled voice from the depths of the freezer.

"Halibut?" replied Sakura.

"Oh, yes yes, I have some halibut here!" She tugged out the frozen lump of fish and let it defrost in the microwave. Then she popped her head out from the kitchen. "Damped with parsley or roasted with root vegetables?"

"Damped, please," the kunoichi answered and stood up. "Do you have a toilet I may borrow?"

"Of course. Down the hallway to your left. If you wish to take a shower as well, use the room next to the toilet. And please, take your time. I will finish your fish meanwhile."

"Thank you," Sakura said and retrieved a few things from her backpack before striding down the hallway.

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The water was not as warm as Sakura had hoped, but it was definitely better than bathing in a small pond in the outer area of Fire Country. She took the opportunity to rinse her hair very thoroughly. Her pink locks had lost their colourful gleam and become grayish during the days she had travelled. The rain and dust from the cave had sunk into her hair and made it dreary. Just like her skin. The water by her feet was slightly dirty, but not for a long time.

Soon, she was clean and smelled nicely of apricot conditioner. She turned off the shower, wrapped herself in a towel and stepped out of the shower cabinet. She could smell her supper through the door, and she noticed how hungry she was.

_Some real food will do good,_ she told herself and praised herself lucky that she had decided on visiting the inn. She had never imagined such hospitality from a stranger, but she supposed it was because she was a friend of Lee.

She quickly got dried and dressed, and she cleaned up after herself before leaving the bathroom.

"It smells delicious," she said when entering the small dining hall.

"What?" asked Sanshou from the kitchen. "I think I am going deaf."

"I said, it smells delicious," Sakura repeated, now a bit louder.

"Ahh, thank you! My uncle used to make a lot of fish dishes when I was young. He taught me some tricks before moving to Wind Country." Sanshou came out and placed the laden dish on the table, and Sakura was led to her seat.

"Now, Sakura, please eat up. I see you need the strength," smiled the elder and sat down on the other side of the table.

"Do you mind if I sit here meanwhile?"

"Of course not," Sakura answered with a smile and started eating. She found the fish very delicious.

"I used to run the inn with my grandson, Karashi. But when he heard about the War, he was determined to join. I could not persuade him into staying here with me. He wished to help his friends in Konoha. He said that they helped him years ago, and that this was his chance to repay them. I respect his determination. He reminds so much of his father," Sanshou told.

Sakura had stopped eating without noticing it, her eyes full of worry. The lady was lonely.

Sanshou continued her story: "I was so happy to hear that he survived the war, along with Lee. Karashi sent me a letter, telling me that he also wished to help rebuilding Konoha. He does not know when he will be returning, however. But he sends me a letter every now and then, keeping me updated on the situation in Konoha. And the few times Lee has come visiting me, he has brought me something from Karashi. Then I use to ask him to bring something back to Karashi. Since I have not seen Karashi for years, I really enjoy company. So I am very happy that you will be staying here, even for a single day or just an evening."

The old woman was smiling with tears in her eyes. It almost shocked Sakura. She had never imagined that someone would appreciate her company that much. It gave her a feeling which she had not felt in a very long time; the feeling of being needed, appreciated.

"When you say it like that, how can I travel on tomorrow without getting a bad conscience?" Sakura asked with a sad smile. Sanshou chuckled lightly.

"Oh, do not feel bad about that, dear. He will return one day, I am sure of it. And I suspect Lee of visiting me again soon. I will manage until then. As long as Katabami Kinzan is close, I will never be completely alone. Sometimes, some of the miners come here to eat some Curry of Life. Most of them are nice men. One of them even knew my son, Yuiyou. Karashi's father. I talk to him a lot. He always tells me funny things that he and Yuiyou did together when they were younger. And when he does, it feels like Yuiyou is right here, laughing with us."

"I am glad to hear that," Sakura replied with a smile.

"Anyway," Sanshou said and stood up, "Eat up, dear. You will need the strength tomorrow. The worst part of the mountain still lies ahead."

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The night had been cold. Sakura knew that, firstly, it was because of the temperatures in the mountains, and secondly, it was because winter was nearing.

She had woken up and packed her things, dressed warmly, eaten some rice and eggs and drunk some green tea with a spot of saké in. Now, she was about to leave the inn and continue her journey.

Sanshou led Sakura to the front door and disappeared for a moment, returning with a bundle in her hands. The bundle was pressed into Sakura's arms. The kunoichi looked at the mysterious lump of fabric and then at Sanshou who had a warm smile on her face.

"Against the cold," she said.

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Thank you for reading this far! You have no idea of how happy it makes me ^_^

(And if you don't know, review and I will show you how happy I am 3)

I promise you will see some Itachi X Sakura in next chapter (or, something that makes MY inner ItaSaku fangirl squeal, at least!)

Take care!

Love,

MangaAnimeLover 3


	3. 2: Unexpected Encounter

**Chapter 2: Unexpected Encounter**

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Luckily, Sakura did not have to reach the top of the mountain to get to the other side. When she had reached fairly high, she saw a hand-dug tunnel leading all way through to the other side. She was amazed as she went through it. It was clear that it had all been dug in hand, no machines used at all. She supposed it had something to do with the trouble of bringing such a big machine so far up the mountain. The narrow path leading almost all the way up was not built for anything else than pedestrians.

The air was cool, even in the middle of the tunnel. Sakura's breaths formed small silver clouds before her face, and the moist from them had started to cling to her eyelashes like frozen droplets. It was not much she could see. No light, electrical or natural, had been installed in the tunnel. The only light sources were the entrances on each side of the mountain. She still had a long way to go to reach the other side.

While she walked silently through the massive stone tunnel, she saw the sun rising slowly on the other side. Soon, a beautiful orange light was thrown inside the tunnel, making it easier for Sakura to see where she was placing her feet. Which was indeed lucky, since the ground gradually became rougher, and lumps of dirt and dead three roots were scattered all about the rocky floor.

Soon, the kunoichi reached the other side of the tunnel. Unexpectedly, she was taken aback by the sight. Before her, the nature gleamed in lush green and other vivid colours. Waterfalls, forests, trees, grass – it was everywhere. It was like a hidden oasis in a rocky desert.

The air was still cold because of the height, but it was more humid here, too. She would almost classify the climate as subtropical, whereas the other side of the mountain and the landscape beneath it seemed more temperate. This part of River Country certainly would lead her to Wind Country.

She started climbing downwards. The path here was steeper than on the other side, which meant that she needed to be cautious. It was still cold enough for ice to cover some of the stony path. But it also meant the she would reach even ground again faster.

Sealing the soles of her sandals with chakra so that she would not glide in an inattentive moment, she sped a bit up. She let gravity pull her down.

The most fertile part of River Country – the part she had never seen before now – came closer and seemed even more amazing at closer hold.

She noticed how the air got warmer, the closer she came to the ground. And to her amusement, she began spotting animals and fruits everywhere.

Extending her arm, she was able to pull off some kind of citrus fruit. The rind had a greenish pink colour, and she peeled it slowly, taking in its delicious smell meanwhile. She classified it as something near a grape fruit or a blood orange. She took a modest bite and chewed, finding it a tad sweeter than blood oranges, but still sour enough to not be a regular orange. Before she reached even ground, she had eaten all of it.

Sakura stretched her back and arms. Having normal ground beneath feet again felt so good. She could start running again.

Pulling forth a map for a short investigation and planning, she decided on taking a rest once she reached a village named Obami.

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Obami turned out to be slightly bigger than Sakura had guessed out from the map.

It was around midday, and it seemed that all inhabitants had decided to meet on the street this certain moment. The streets were filled with people, and Sakura had to push herself through the mass of people, sending plenty of apologies as she went.

She was surprised to see only very few shinobi on her way. They did not seem to notice her, even though she looked neither like the average ninja, nor the average civilian. Her pink hair made her stand out in most crowds, but here nobody seemed to catch sight of her. Which, in the end, was fine with her. She would rather avoid strangers approaching her and asking her about the War and the rebuilding of Konoha. As long as they did not even see her, they would not see the Konoha symbol on her hitai-ate either.

Sakura spotted a small and modest restaurant among the stalls and booths of the market place. She reached it elegantly and slipped inside the shoji doors. She was surprised to see so few customers. The majority of them were not even eating. They sat on the wooden chairs, each with a cup of tea warming the palms of their hands.

Sakura found a suitable seat in the corner. When she was travelling alone, she preferred having an overview of her surroundings. You never knew when an enemy could show up.

And sometimes, this little move paid off.

Green eyes widened in disbelief, breath bated.

In the opposite corner sat a male figure dressed in black. Ridding himself of the red and white cloud patterns had done him good, but to a former teammate of his younger brother, Uchiha Itachi's disguise did not fool.

He still wore the signature straw hat in order to hide his crimson eyes, but without the obligatory Akatsuki cloak Itachi could go as a civilian.

A waitress served him a cup of tea, oblivious to the fact that she was serving a serial killer and S-ranked criminal.

Sakura had frozen in her actions. She had completely forgotten what she was doing. Her body almost trembled from anger and fear. Anger because of the mental and physical pain he had inflicted upon her teammates, and because he had been a part of the War and was most likely the killer of some of her friends. And fear because she had seen what he could do to another human without thinking twice.

If he noticed her, what would he do to her? Surely, he would not just ignore her, would he? Would he leave her alive and continue whatever mission he had?

While these thoughts roamed through Sakura's bewildered mind, she could not take her eyes away from the former Uchiha heir.

Her heart gave a sudden jump when he raised his gaze and let his eyes lock with hers, though only for a second. She swore she saw a slight smirk cross his lips, even just for an instant. Then, he downed the contents of his cup, left a few tips on the wooden table, and exited the restaurant just ever so swiftly.

He was not a part of the Akatsuki anymore, because the organization had been utterly destroyed during the War, but there was something devious about him anyway, and Sakura was still a ninja, though now homeless. She _had_ to follow him.

And so she did.

Often, when Sakura acted on her instincts, she knew she was doing rash things that were not always thought through beforehand. And this was one of these cases.

When she joined the crowd out on the street, Itachi was nowhere to be seen. He had mingled in with the human mass. Not even his straw hat gave his location away, since most inhabitants wore a hat when the sunlight was sharpest and the heat worst. Black clothes were not unusual, either. He really did fit in quite perfectly, also to the trained eye.

So Sakura let her eyes seek up to the roofs just in case, and an idea hit her. _She_ was not disguised as a mere civilian, so she did not have to pretend to be one. People would not be surprised to see a ninja travel above the roofs. Up from there she might be able to spot him.

Fastening her backpacks, she strengthened her feet and calves with chakra and leapt to the roof of the restaurant, landing gracefully. This earned her a dozen of surprised looks, but only for an instant. Then she was not exciting to watch anymore.

She ran about twenty meters and stopped to search for the Uchiha killer.

_Damn it! _her mind cursed. _Where has he gone? Surely, he has not—_

"Is it me you are looking for, Haruno?" she heard his dark voice whisper into her ear. Sakura gasped and turned around in an instant, but yet again, the man was nowhere to be seen.

She frowned.

"Bastard," she grumbled as she looked for him among the inhabitants of Obami yet again.

He was gone.

-:- -:- -:-

In the end, she left the village on an empty stomach.

She could not comprehend how the Uchiha had first shown up and then disappeared again without a trace. Heck, it was even a miracle that he had not cut her throat on the roof top. It annoyed her and yet relieved her.

There was nothing she could do about him. Looking for him would take too much time, and if she actually found him, she was not sure if she would be in shape of continuing her journey afterwards. And she did not have the time to fight. She had to reach Wind Country.

She decided to stop by the next village and grab some take-away food. Then, she would not stop again before late evening.

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_The sky blue eyes were dying. Her senses had stopped reacting on anything._

_Blood was trailing from the corner of her lips, staining her ripped clothes._

_Sakura bit her lips together roughly, tears welling up in her eyes._

"_Ino!" she sobbed, her bare hands glowing green, healing Ino's pierced chest. "Do not die on me, Ino-pig! For that I will not forgive you. Stay with me!"_

_Her sight became blurry, and she sniffed. A hand, warm and gentle, was placed on her shaking shoulder. Sakura did not bother to turn around. She knew who it was._

_Platinum blonde hair was soaked in dark red blood, clumping together on her paling face._

"_Sakura, it is too late," a female voice spoke gently, but Sakura refused to believe it. She shook the hand off her shoulder, summoning even more chakra to her hands._

"_Stay with me, Ino! Stay with me."_

_She realized it was not working. Ino's heart had stopped beating and her eyes were now lifeless, almost grey._

_Sakura collapsed, grabbing her best friend's purple shirt and held her face close to it, breathing in the usually sweet but now sweaty and bloody scent of the blonde._

_She cried, her tears leaving wet stains on the purple fabric. She refused to let go._

_She had been too late._

-:- -:- -:-

By sunset, Sakura skidded to a halt in a small clearing. The forest had thinned more and more the closer she came to the west, and the temperature rose slightly each mile.

Letting her backpacks dump to the ground, Sakura stretched out and sat down on a rock, sighing exhaustedly. She had travelled farther than she had expected. She supposed it was because of the landscape that had once again turned flat. And because she had fled from Obami in slight paranoia of being followed by a certain Uchiha.

_Speaking of whom,_ her mind added grimly, _what was Itachi doing in Obami, let alone River Country? I do not hope he is on his way to Fire Country, or even worse, Konoha. It has suffered enough destruction already._

She gathered some firewood and built a small stone circle to make a bonfire inside. When a fire was crackling successfully, she unrolled her sleeping mat and sat down on it, opening a can of vegetables and a can of fish. The contents were mixed in a small casserole along with a bit of water and seasoning. Using a small metal rack, she let the casserole rest above the fire while she went to the nearby river.

Splashing water in her face, Sakura sighed and eyed herself in the wobbling water surface.

She really looked worn off, she mused, mostly paying attention to the bags under her eyes and her general expression. Her hair was clumping together because of sweat, and dust had once again settled on her skin.

She fetched a towel from her backpack and returned to the river. She was not too fond of bathing in the nature, but she also hated being sweaty and dirty. So she unzipped her dark red shirt and pulled down her black tights, kicked off her sandals and quickly ridded herself of all clothes before slipping silently into the river.

Despite warmer temperatures, the water was still cool enough to startle the kunoichi, and she gasped in surprise.

_Oh well,_ she thought, _I just need to get it over with._

Sucking in air, she dived beneath the water surface. She opened her eyes and looked up at the orange-coloured sky through the clear water. The rippling surface made the colours come in waves that seemed to wash toward the bank. It was strangely beautiful.

What was not so beautiful, however, was the shadowy figure that passed the lake, startling Sakura so much that she gaped and lost air.

She had to surface. She just hoped the unwanted visitor was not the crimson-eyed killer. Or any killer for that matter. She was not in mood for a fight while she was naked.

Forcing herself to the water surface, she silently popped her head up and assessed the area. Nothing unusual caught her attention. In fact, everything seemed just fine, and she started to doubt herself.

_It could have been a bird,_ she told herself. _Or perhaps a deer or something. I am sure I heard nobody following me. And the way Itachi avoided me in Obami… It cannot be him either._

Gathering courage, she climbed up on the bank, quickly wrapping herself in the towel and dashing back to her little camp.

She arrived just in time to catch the casserole from tilting down the rack. The violently boiling water had been tipping the casserole, moving it to the edges of the rack. She placed it on the ground, covering it with a lid so that dirt was prevented from getting in.

A stick broke somewhere in the shadowy forest. Sakura snapped her face in that direction, eyes narrowed.

"If it is you, Itachi, at least you can wait until I am dressed!" she shouted, trying to lure him forth. Not that she believed that it was him anyway, because a ninja of his caliber would never accidently step on something. Unless he was taunting her on purpose. "Or are you cowardly enough to attack a woman while she is nak—"

"I am not a dishonorable man, Haruno" stated his dark voice from behind her.

As a reflex, Sakura swung a fist backwards toward the source, but it was caught in a firm grip.

"You, on the other hand, attack me without knowing my intentions. _That_ is dishonorable," he continued flatly.

Sakura let out a very unladylike grunt. Using her free hand to secure the towel, the kunoichi spun around with enough power to yank her wrist out of Itachi's grip. Light footwork brought her on the other side of the bonfire in less than a second, and she scowled at the former Akatsuki member, taking a defensive stance.

He observed her coolly, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

"Please, do dress yourself," he said and sat down upon her sleeping mat, turning his back to her.

Sakura could not believe her eyes. What was he _doing_?

_On the other hand,_ she thought, _this might be my only chance to get dressed. I am no match naked._

Determined, she fetched her clothes and dressed faster than she ever had before. She kept the towel in her hand just in case. Perhaps it could prove useful.

"Now, what do you want from me?" she asked, her voice venomous and eyes narrowed dangerously. Itachi saw this as a proof that she had dressed, and turned around, still sitting stoic-faced on her sleeping mat.

"I want nothing from you," replied the man. Sakura frowned.

"Get lost, Uchiha." Her voice was hard and unmistakable. It held more than anger; he spotted the trace of fear in it.

"I never got the impression that you are a rude person. Perhaps your anger towards me has something to do with my little brother?"

Again, Sakura was reminded of one of her lost precious ones. One of the sensitive cases.

She turned into a spitfire instantly.

"You have _no_ right to speak of Sasuke to me! Let alone calling him your brother… It is sickening! Someone like you is unworthy of the title as an Uchiha! And do not pretend to care about your brother, because I know you do not! You ruined his life, made him mad and drove him into his death. Now, fuck the hell off!"

She meant every worth of it, he could feel it. Her darkening aura matched her words perfectly.

She hardly managed to blink before she found herself pushed against a tree, her spine aching with pain and her lungs gasping for air.

His strong, slender hand fixed her neck tightly against the branch. Her emerald eyes locked with his swirling crimson ones.

"You speak as if you know me. You should not. You know _nothing_ about Sasuke and me." His voice reeked ice, making a shiver travel up her spine.

Her gaze was sharp and full of hatred.

A slight smirk graced his features.

Haruno Sakura, a young kunoichi, whom he had never spoken to before, hated him almost as much as his little brother had done. It was… intriguing.

Letting go of the kunoichi, Itachi backed a bit away. Sakura fell to the ground.

"We will meet again," he said, pulling forth her wallet and disappearing just a second before she grabbed a hold of it.

Sakura watched the Uchiha disappear with her money.

"Shit!"

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Once again, thank you for reading!

I know that Itachi seems a bit OOC in this chapter, but it will be explained later.

I hope you will review this chapter. My goal is to reach 600+ reviews. So please, help me reach that "dream" of mine, ne? 3

Take care!

Love,

MangaAnimeLover 3


	4. 3: Sand

Hello everybody! I just wanted to thank you for still reading. And thank you for the reviews! It is so amazing to know that people are actually reading this. I have a feeling that it is going to be one of my best fanfictions ever~! I hope you think so too.

Please leave a review if you haven't already. I wish so dearly to reach 600+ reviews! Thank you 3

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_**Chapter 3: Sand**_

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For once, Sakura was positive that Uchiha Itachi was not following her.

There was nothing hiding behind. Everything around her was pure sand and heat.

She had not travelled to Suna since she went to heal Kankurou as newly promoted chuunin. She had forgotten how much she hated travelling through Wind Country. Their villages, however – when you were lucky enough to find one in the sandy wilderness – were nothing less than amazing. An oasis. And Suna was definitely the best of them all.

Before her depart from Konoha, Sakura had spoken with Tsunade about working as a free ninja around the world. Tsunade had recommended Suna because of their lack of medic ninjas. Suna's specialty lied entirely in offensive techniques, which brought them the title as the strongest ninja village. But not the most practical. That title was already given to Konoha, especially after Tsunade became the Hokage.

Suna still had an amazing amount of medical resources, but the people using them were not skilled enough. By working in Suna, Sakura would become a highly respected and needed medic, and she would make sure to teach her best healing techniques to the Sand medics. It would be very tough on her, she knew that, but she felt like helping Gaara out. During the War, Gaara and his siblings had shown up personally, helping Konoha to victory. Even though most of her friends could not be saved back then, Sakura felt that this was her best way of repaying the Sand siblings for their help. And, Sakura had mused, it may even strengthen their financial support. This way, Sakura could even help Konoha a bit meanwhile.

Sakura felt her knees weaken in bliss when she saw the first contours of Suna in the horizon. She recognized the Kazekage Tower in the middle, its round top specially designed for the young red-haired Kazekage.

_Perhaps,_ she thought, _I can borrow some money from Temari to get started. I am sure she will understand my situation. Not that I will be telling her the whole story…_

Sakura had pondered so much about Itachi and his actions ever since he disappeared that she felt no energy left for continuing the raging. When she saw him again, though – which he had promised her that she would – he would _feel_ her rage for sure.

_Besides, the money will be replenished in no time, _she reassured herself.

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It took her almost an hour to reach Suna.

"Thank goodness!" she gasped once she had made it inside the city barriers. "Now, if someone would bring me a couch, I would be delighted."

Letting herself dump down onto the pressed sand, she leaned back on her bags and emptied her water canteen completely.

A set of feet stopped in front of the kunoichi, and she looked up to see Matsuri smiling down on her.

"Matsuri!"

"Sakura! Good lord, it is nice to see you," Matsuri exclaimed and pulled Sakura up on feet. They gave each other a chaste hug.

"I take it you are on solo mission, hm?" the brunette asked curiously.

"Rather, I have decided on moving in here for a while. You see—"

"Oh, yeah. I am sorry. Did not mean to—"

Sakura chuckled.

"Matsuri, it is okay. I just need to start anew. I decided that I have done what I could for Konoha, so now I am here to help out with your medics," she said, leading a few pink locks behind her ears.

"I see. I am sure Gaara-sama would be pleased to hear about your decision," the younger kunoichi replied with a smile.

"I was, in fact, on my way to the Kazekage Tower," Sakura continued, picked up her backpacks and shouldered them, ignoring the mass of sand that was now clinging to them.

"Great!" Matsuri said, smiling widely. "I was also on my way there. I can accompany you."

Sakura's sly smile gave away that she knew just what the younger kunoichi wanted with the Kazekage.

"He still has not asked you out?" she questioned, bringing a heated colour to Matsuri's cheeks. The brunette shook her head.

"Unfortunately. But I spoke to Temari-dono about it. She says that it will not be long before he will consider family and such. So I might be in his mind by then."

Matsuri's situation reminded Sakura of Hinata, and her smile turned sad. As if her pain had not been enough back then, seeing Hinata crying over Naruto's grave would break any heart, and it did break Sakura's. Hinata had been loyal and patient with Naruto, giving him time to realize her feelings for him. And when he finally did, the War came and took its sacrifices.

Lost in thoughts, the kunoichis reached the Kazekage Tower. Kankurou, running out of the main entrance, nearly bumped into the two young women.

"Ah, sorry, Matsuri, Sakura-sama. I am in a hurry. See you girls later!" he shouted and disappeared around a corner before said girls managed to greet him.

Instead, they shrugged with a sheepish smile and continued inside.

Sakura, having just ended her nearly six days travel, cursed when reminded of the amount of stairs in the Kazekage Tower. Sighing in distress, she started climbing.

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A knock on his door drew his attention from his paperwork. Laying down his pen, Gaara ordered his visitors inside.

He certainly had not expected to see the pink-haired kunoichi.

"Haruno-san," the Kazekage said and nodded curtly in respect. His nod was answered with her bow.

"Gaara-sama, I have come to ask for citizenship. After an agreement with Tsunade-sama, I believe that I will be of more help here than in Konoha," Sakura spoke. Matsuri sat down on a chair along the back end wall.

"In what way do you wish to help Sunagakure?" asked Gaara, having found a clean piece of paper and his pen, scribbling down.

"Tsunade-sama gave me the impression that your medical field could use some new knowledge and techniques," she said and sat down when he motioned for it while still scribbling notes.

"What kind of position do you wish to work in?" he continued professionally. Matsuri in the back of the room blushed at his cool maturity.

"I was imagining something about working in your hospital, perhaps with the authority to teach my own healing techniques to your other medics," she replied with a smile. "I have thought about becoming a mentor, or even sensei later on, but I feel that I have some edges that need to be polished first. In some years, I believe."

"How long do you plan on staying in Sunagakure?"

"I am not sure yet. A few years at least, or maybe for the rest of my life. Depends on how well it will turn out, and how fast your medics learn from me. Let us say until I have nothing more to do here."

It took Gaara a single minute to finish writing his notes.

"Very well," he said with a smile and looked at his new medical ninja employee. "You may start whenever you feel ready. Your pay will start as the pay of a normal doctor, and if I see it fitting I shall raise it. I will have a citizenship paper made ready for you by tomorrow morning."

"Thank you," said Sakura and stood up.

"Regarding a place to stay, I will trust Matsuri with the mission to help you find an apartment you like. I have some that are already appointed with basic furniture. I will provide you with further necessities the first week. See it as an investment," Gaara said and stood up.

"I hope you will be pleased with your investment, Gaara-sama," Sakura grinned.

"You may go," he said. "I will see you in the morning, Haruno-san."

Sakura bowed thankfully to her new Kage, who responded her bow, and she exited the room followed by Matsuri who, not to Sakura's surprise, threw a discrete glance at the Kazekage before closing the door behind them.

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Sakura concluded that she was actually very picky about the apartment she wished to move into. Once she and Matsuri found the apartment that provided her requirements – a kitchen, a bathroom, a washing machine, a small balcony, soundproof walls and doors, a fairly big bedroom, a living room, and most important; furniture that she could stand looking at – the sun was already setting, and they were both worn out.

"Wait here, Sakura," Matsuri said and noted something down on a sheet of paper. "I will go fetch the main key for you. You can take the time to unpack your things. I will return shortly."

"Thank you," Sakura said, and Matsuri opened the door to the balcony and disappeared.

Sighing, Sakura let herself dump down on the black leather couch in the living room, letting her gaze glide around the room. I was actually pretty neat, she mused. And she was glad that the furniture was kept in neutral shades such as black, white, and earthly colours.

_Now,_ she thought, _I just need to get some money. And I have the __**perfect**__ idea how…_

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The heavy smell of alcohol and smoke hit her like a wave as she entered the bar.

It was amusing to see how voices ceased and heads turned in curiosity. The fact that only men resided in the bar brought a sly smile on her lips.

Nonchalantly, she went to the bar counter, making sure to sway her hips noticeably on the way. She could feel hungry male stares on her.

Her plan would be a lot easier than she had thought.

Sitting down between two strangers and making sure that her cleavage was showing, she leaned in over the bar counter ever so slightly.

"All that sand really makes your tongue dry, do you not agree?" Sakura started innocently, catching the two men's attention entirely. "I was actually planning on heading home, but I really need something to drink first."

Something Sakura had learned during the female lessons in the Ninja Academy was that it was no shame for a kunoichi to take advantage of her femininity in order to achieve greater goals. Though the goal was nothing more than simple money, Sakura felt no shame at all. She needed the money in order to make a living.

She did not see the smiles creasing their faces, but she knew that the men by her sides understood her hidden message.

The youngest of her accompanies signalized for the bartender to serve his order.

"A beer for miss…" His voice stopped, and Sakura knew what it meant.

"Amaya, please," she finished his sentence with the sweetest fake smile she could muster.

"_Two_ beers for Amaya-san," her other host interjected. The bartender smiled smugly, knowing the exact intentions of the two usually lonesome men.

Two beers were served for the pink-haired kunoichi, and she thanked the three of them.

Sending both her suitors a sheepish smile, she grabbed both glasses.

"Do you mind if I…?" She needed not to speak further; the two men laughed and nodded.

"Of course," the one at her left replied.

Then, to their surprise, Sakura emptied both glasses within ten seconds.

Watching her in utter amazement, they brought challenging smiles upon their faces.

"For the lovely Amaya-san," one said, the other agreed, and they both emptied their glasses as well.

Sakura giggled.

"I am sorry. I told you I was thirsty, hm?" she grinned and pushed the empty glasses to the far end of the counter. The bartender came and picked them up.

"Our friend here seems very thirsty. Could you bring her another glass?" one requested.

"Two," the other corrected.

"Thank you! You are so kind to me," Sakura said, acting like she was already feeling the effects of the alcohol. But in truth, Sakura's system was dissolving the alcoholic molecules faster than they managed to get incorporated into her system. This technique was one of the first she had learned as Tsunade's apprentice. It worked against lighter toxins as well and was fairly practical in many cases. Also when it came to bluffing.

Sakura was served again. This time, she drank slowly, chatting with the two men, flirting.

Having finished one more beer, Sakura stood up.

"I feel like challenging someone," she mumbled just loudly enough for the nearest people to hear her. She headed for a table in the middle of the room, bringing her fourth beer along, swaying intentionally.

"I bet I could win in an arm wrestling match. Anyone up for trying me out?" she spoke loudly, once again catching the crowd's attention. She heard deep male chuckles around her, and several chairs were turned in her direction**. **The new girl had gotten spectators.

Her former two suitors watched her incredulously.

"Petite girls like you should not challenge people she does not know," a rather broad man commented amusedly from one of the corners as he stood up and headed for the center table.

Sakura laughed, a triumphant smile on her lips.

"I have been working out at home. Last year, I got some weights, and a week ago I felt tempted to actually try them out. I swear that I have become stronger. I can feel it!" she replied, pretending to flex her biceps.

Laughter filled the bar.

"Oh, but I am serious! Want to try it for yourself?" she challenged and sat down, readying her arm temptingly. "I bet my beer on my victory!" Said beer was shoved to the middle of the table, spilling a bit.

"You really got to bet more than just a beer! My reputation is worth far more than that," he said, sitting down. "Let us strike another deal. If you win, I will give you the very contents of my wallet. But if I win… you will be the one to kiss me goodnight and keep me warm tonight."

Laughter and joy filled the air, and everybody gathered around the small round table, adding money to Sakura's winnings.

"Alright," she said. A broad smile creased the man's face.

Cracking his knuckles, he then grabbed her petite hand firmly, a victorious smile already playing on his face.

"Are you ready, love?"

Sakura drank half of her beer in one gulp and nodded.

"Just as ready as you are," she replied nonchalantly.

At first, she only used a little force, faking her limit and almost letting him win. But a half second before he smashed her hand down on the wooden surface, Sakura sent a jolt of chakra into her muscles, strengthening them, and managed to smash _his_ hand down on the table instead.

It had all happened so quickly that people hardly managed to realize who had won before Sakura emptied her last beer, grabbed the stack of money on the table – inclusive her challenger's wallet – and stood up.

"Damn, those weights are effective!" she added with fake surprise and headed for the door. "I hope you can find someone else to keep you company tonight. See you around!"

She did not reach far, though, because several hands managed to grab her before she slipped away in the night. The kunoichi was pulled inside the bar against her will.

"Hey!" she said, sending her captors strange looks, trying to yank free. "What is the matter? I won fair and square!"

"I do not think so," her challenger growled. "I was told that you used ninja tricks on me!"

Sakura was confused. She had not felt any chakra presences when entering the bar. No normal civilian should be able to identify her little trick so quickly.

Seeing no other way, Sakura made some quick hand seals and disappeared.

Landing in the shadows of a nearby alley, the kunoichi sighed, examining her skin the places the men had grabbed her. It was amazing how they had all changed from gentle suitors to agitated enemies in an instant. She had never lied about being a ninja, because none had asked her. They had no real reason to be upset with her.

"Starting bar fights, Haruno?" a well-known voice asked, and Sakura felt her blood boil instantly by the recognition of it.

"Itachi," she hissed, her voice reeking toxin. "Have I not told you to leave me alone?"

The man stepped out from the darkest corner of the valley and stopped surprisingly – and to Sakura, uncomfortably – near the kunoichi. She backed away a little, her narrowed eyes tightly fixed on the Uchiha.

"It was hard to ignore your little… show… in the bar. It surprised me that your obviously fake flirt and unoriginal comments worked the way you wanted."

An unwanted warmth rose to Sakura's cheeks. She did not know if it was in embarrassment or anger. It was most likely both. Ignoring it, she crossed her arms.

"What are you doing in Suna? Are you following me?" she said, deciding to not comment his observation either.

A smirk passed the Uchiha's lips.

"No. In fact, one would believe that _you_ are the stalker. It is _you_ who have been following _me_."

Sakura did not understand. None of their encounters had been planned. And it was highly unlikely that they had been travelling so closely by chance.

But Sakura did not believe in Fate.

Parting her lips in order to retort on him once again, she was shocked into silence when he did something she had never in her whole life expected him – or any other enemy for that matter – to do to her.

He leaned in over her, pressing her up against the wall.

"Be quiet," he whispered into her ear. But there had been no need to tell her; she was stunned, breath bated and eyes open wide.

Her heart beat erratically, as if it wanted to press itself out of her ribcage.

She wanted to speak, wanted to yell at him to fuck the hell off her. But she barely managed to open her mouth before his lips pressed against hers.

In the same moment, a horde of agitated men ran past the dark alley, shouting, roaring. It was the men from the bar. The few that looked inside the alley dared not to interrupt the seemingly busy couple, and continued forward with the others.

When they had disappeared, Itachi broke away, leaving Sakura dumbfounded and confused. And infuriated.

She acted on her instincts.

A red hand mark was left well-placed on the Uchiha's face, and the cherry-haired kunoichi had disappeared.

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Emerald eyes were soaked, letting tears of anger roll down her face. She could not hold them back. Neither could she rid herself of her incredibly flushed cheeks.

She headed straight for the couch when arriving to her new home. She let herself fall down on it, face buried in a pillow.

She fell asleep on said couch, screaming furiously into the pillow until sleep came and carried her consciousness away.

She had forgotten everything about retrieving her stolen wallet.

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Itachi had yet not a place to call home. He stayed at a motel in the outer part of Suna's center, allowing him to get peace when he wanted, and allowed him to keep eye on what happened in the streets around him.

Having returned to his residence as well, he locked the doors securely and threw himself on the bed, face upward.

He hated questioning himself. It was a sign of weakness, of lack of control of his actions. But he could not stop asking himself _why_.

He could just have covered her mouth with his hand.

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Uuuhhh, things are happening now, eh? ;)

Things have now changed between them, drastically. But in which way(s)? Stay tuned and find out!

Oh, and beware; it will soon get intense~

Take care,

Lou 3


	5. 4: The Patients

_Hello guys and thank you for reading so far. I know I am so slow when it comes to updating, but I really only do enjoy writing when I feel inspired to do so. Otherwise I can hardly form the right sentences, and the story gets boring and lifeless. So in order to bring you the best I can, I have to take breaks from writing. I do apologize for this, however. _

_I hope you find my story worth waiting for._

_Enjoy :)_

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**Chapter 4: The Patients**

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Sakura had woken up with a pounding headache. Knowing that she was about to be late for her appointment with the Kazekage, and that she really needed a shower first, the throbbing in her head became even worse. She really had to hurry.

So she rushed to the kitchen and turned on the coffee maker, hoping to finish her upcoming shower right in time for smoking hot coffee. She was thankful to find that the water cascade quickly got warm, and after brushing her teeth, she stepped into the shower.

Feeling how the bathroom became warm and very humid in almost no time, she opened the small window and let the steam rush out. Voices from the street below greeted her, giving away that Suna also was a busy village in the early morning – just like Konoha. She was grateful that not everything about her new life would be different.

She finished in time for fresh black coffee, which she picked up dressed only in underwear. To her dismay, she found out that the people living across the street also had a balcony. The man standing on his balcony with a coffee cup, innocently observing the morning rush on the street, could easily raise his gaze and spot his new young neighbour in underwear.

Sakura hurriedly drew the curtains and spilled some of her coffee. Grumbling curses, she drank generously and left the half-empty cup rest on the sofa table while she got dressed.

Having put on the black tank top and army green linen shorts that Matsuri had delivered earlier in the morning, Sakura combed her tangled, wet hair, slipped on her black sandals, and left the apartment with a click of the lock.

She forgot everything about the cup of coffee waiting for her on the sofa table.

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The Kazekage seemed somewhat troubled, Sakura noticed as she approached his desk. Although the man rarely let his expression change from the blank expression with the observing, cold eyes, there was definitely something. He hardly showed emotions such as annoyance, she knew from Naruto. But she could just _feel _it. He seemed rather tense.

"Good morning, Gaara-sama," greeted the kunoichi, hoping to perhaps lighten the man's mood. He looked up from his desk with a slightly strained smile.

"Haruno-san," he acknowledged. "Your citizenship papers are ready. I must ask you to start on the Hospital as soon as possible, however." Sakura welcomed the papers held forth by the red-head before her. Her brows were partly furrowed by his last words.

"Has something happened?" she asked, folding the papers so they were small enough to fit in the side pocket of her purse. The Kazekage, whose gaze had just returned to brush over some papers on his desk, shifted to look at the woman with concern flashing across her jade eyes. He nodded curtly.

"Early this morning, an entire genin team was admitted to the Hospital. It seems that the ranking of their mission was inaccurate. They were ambushed on their way home. Two of them are barely alive." At first, Sakura's eyes were wide, but when the Kazekage had finished speaking, she regained a determined expression and nodded once.

"I understand, Gaara-sama," she said, her voice carrying the same sternness as those also burdened with the sad information. "I shall see what I can do." She was gone even before the Kazekage managed to reply. Instead, his frown grew into a slight smile as he realized what treasure Sakura posed to the city.

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Sakura cursed under her breath the moment she barged into the Hospital and realized how different the inner structure was compared to Konoha Hospital and the few hospitals she had worked in during missions. It would take her days to memorize the many hallways and draw an inner map.

She approached the counter behind which a lone woman was stationed.

"Where can I find the genins admitted this morning?" she asked, not bothering to introduce herself to the woman. Said woman quirked a brow and looked at her.

"Are you a visitor?" she asked, her posture provocatively indifferent.

"I am your new doctor," Sakura said, not wasting time on correcting her title to 'medically specialized ninja'. "Now, could you tell me the way?" The woman seemed rather unsurprised by Sakura's words and shrugged.

"Two of them are under surgical treatment right now. Follow the main hall down to the basement level. All our operation rooms are beneath the Hospital. Room sixteen on your left," the woman instructed slowly, pointing to her left where the hallway continued.

Sakura did not bother thanking the woman; she merely nodded once and started running down the hallway.

The floor descended down beneath ground level, and Sakura could feel how the temperature dropped slightly for each ten steps. She had never really thought about the design of the hospital, but now that she thought about it, it was smart of them to build the operation rooms underground. The temperature was lower down here, and without the sometimes threatening heat they would not have to take the warmth into consideration. She knew that temperature could have a say in the matter of life and death during a surgery.

Reaching the many operation rooms, Sakura looked left and spotted room number sixteen. A sign on the door told that the room was being used, and that the doctors and surgeons wished no disturbance. Be a mere sign could not keep Sakura out. Knocking lightly to warn the people inside, she entered the room.

In the middle of the room were two operation tables, separated with a few metres distance. Around one table were three people, and around the other stood four. They all gave Sakura a quick glance and returned to work. She bet none of them knew who she was or what she was doing there, but apparently they had no time to usher her outside.

With a determined smile on her lips, Sakura pulled on a clean medical gown and washed her hands, finishing off with a pair of silicone gloves. Blending in as she was used to in Konoha Hospital, Sakura approached one table and took a look at the young patient.

"Can I get a briefing?" she asked her new colleagues. Without questions, a nurse joined her side.

"Kanato here suffers from a punctured lung and several sliced main arteries. We have managed to pull out most of the weapons, but thee bleeding is more fatal than we had expected." Sakura's jade eyes assessed the young man on the table, tying the areas with the nurse's words. She nodded quickly, giving away that she had understood. They turned to the other patient; a young girl, whose entire body was burnt badly, revealing deep wounds.

"Yaya here, as you can see, suffers from a bad third degree burn." Sakura was used to seeing people in fatal conditions, but it always seemed to strike her harder when said people were young. It reminded her of her own genin days, and of how weak they all were back then. The poor children here had barely been able to defend themselves.

A sharp and sudden bleep warned that Yayas heart had stopped beating. Sakura quickly took the lead and pushed her way to the girl, her hands already filled with chakra. Closing her eyes, Sakura let her life force seep into the girl's chest, focusing on the stilled heart. It was a technique she had been forced to develop during the war to use on the battlefield where no fancy machinery was available, but later on she had experienced that it often worked better than anything else, especially if the patient's body was not able to handle the touch of a defibrillator. By pressing the big metallic surfaces against her burnt chest her wounds would just become worse.

Sakura let her chakra massage Yaya's heart, stimulating a rhythm until it regained strength and could beat on its own again. When Sakura looked up, the other doctors and surgeons by the table stared at her in amazement and disbelief.

_Oh right, I forgot to tell them that I am no ordinary doctor_, she remembered with a sheepish smile. There surely was no need to tell them now. Most people could identify or recognize ninja techniques the moment the signature blue or green glow emerged from the person's body, mainly hands. And since the doctors had not fled en horror, Sakura assumed they understood her nature fully.

When the heart monitor had stopped its long bleep, Sakura decided to help healing the worst of the girl's burnt skin before attending Kanato. Letting her hands move above the blackened skin, Sakura could not help but think about Sasuke. His clan had specialized in fire techniques meant to burn people to death. The severity of Yaya's burns looked like the doing of an Uchiha, but unless Itachi had been out burning young girls, it could not have been caused by one of those damned Uchiha bastards. Only Itachi was left.

Without realizing, a wry smile creased her lips. Itachi. The whole scenery from the evening before flashed across her mind.

_Not now_, she told herself. _I cannot afford distractions right now_. Sakura regained focus. Beneath her hands the girl's flesh slowly mended, creating healthy tissue where the fire had burnt through the seared skin. She moved her hands to the small face. Yaya's eyelashes, eyebrows and a portion of her hair had burned away, but Sakura was happy to see that Yaya's face was not as damaged as the rest of her body. They would still need a skin surgeon to work on her afterward, but as far as Sakura could judge with her still limited experience with facial burns, she guessed there was still hope for Yaya to remain a pretty girl, just with some scars.

It took some time to repair all the damaged flesh, but once Sakura had fixed the worst areas, she changed gloves and went to Kanato's table. The doctors and surgeons had done a fine job mending his lung, but they were still struggling to stop the boy's fatal bleeding. Having gained their trust in so little time, Sakura was allowed to replace the woman who had tried to mend the sliced main artery in the boy's inner thigh. The kunoichi had to bend in over the table to get a good look at the broken artery. Letting a hand seek into his sliced flesh, she grabbed a hold on the far end of the artery and managed to create a layer of new tissue to reconnect them. It bled a lot despite the binder just above the cut, and Sakura decided to finish the process quickly so that the blood could once again travel freely all the way down to the boy's foot. It took some time and precision, but she managed to fix the leg fairly quickly. Once sure the artery was ready to transport blood, she loosened the binder and saw, as a bit blood seeped out from the wound. Soon it hardened and started to create scab. She immediately attended another wound.

While working, Sakura could not help but let her thoughts wander again. She really had not let herself think about the actions of the criminal the night before. She simply could not comprehend why he had kissed her. Surely, he had wanted her to shut up, and a way to hide her from the angry mob she had raised, but why? He could just have disappeared. Her bar fight had nothing to do with him anyway. Unless he somehow was involved. The thought struck her. _Well, __**someone**__ did tell on me yesterday. Ordinary people cannot sense chakra; they can only see it. And I refuse to believe one of them was a ninja. Only someone like Itachi could manage to fool me_, she thought. Then a realization his her. _Of course! He revealed it, himself, when he told me that he had not expected my flirting to work. He must have been there to see it for himself_. A smile graced her lips for a single moment until she realized that it was actually a bad thing that the killer was stalking her. Which, again, made her to wonder what he really wanted with her.

Sakura had barely noticed that that were finished until the doctors by her side started to peel off their bloody gloves. Now, both of the genins just had to rest and heal on their own.

Sakura joined the others and started to rid herself off of the medical clothes. The gloves and masks were thrown out, and the gowns were thrown into a laundry basket in the corner by the door. On her way out, she was stopped by one of the older male surgeons.

"Thank you for your help," he said while extending his hand toward her, a smile on his crinkled face. "We do not have many medical ninjas here in Suna. You have been a great help." Sakura could not help but smile. Shaking his hand firmly, she followed him the hallway up from where she had come. Behind them, the two patients were drown upstairs to the area where the recovery rooms were, Sakura assumed, still not knowing for sure.

"My name is Izuho Ken, by the way. I am a senior surgeon and consultant here," he told her and led her upstairs to the recovery rooms. Without questions Sakura followed him.

"I am Haruno Sakura," she replied with a smile that betrayed how fatigued she was. Ken chuckled with his soft, dark voice.

"I see you medically specialized ninjas get tired in more than one way," the man remarked with a compassionate smile, referring to the extra exhaustion the use of chakra had on the body. Sakura was surprised by his knowledge. Many commoners never really understood the whole chakra thing. Smiling, she nodded wordlessly.

They stopped before a closed white door. The door sign displayed two names that Sakura did not recognize.

"I am sure you have heard about the unfortunate situation the genin team ended in, am I right?" asked Ken, knowing that the young woman by his side was sent from the Kazekage to assist them.

"I was told they were ambushed on their way home from a mission," Sakura replied. The man nodded.

"Yaya and Kanato were the most unlucky. Their sensei and third member suffered only from lesser damages. Iraki-sensei has broken both of his arms, and Hanaki suffers from a strained ankle and a concussion. Both have some small wounds and slashes, but they are recovering. I had some others tending to them while we were working on the other two." Sakura nodded, taking in the details. Ken opened the door silently, revealing a small white room with two beds. Hanaki was resting, it seemed. Iraki-sensei was sitting with both of his bandaged arms in arm stands and stared out through the window, thoughtful. He did not seem to mind them interruption. Or else he was just ignoring them.

"Do you want something, Iraki-sensei?" asked the surgeon. "Food, toilet? A drink perhaps?" Iraki still did not turn toward them. Sakura was concerned. Unexpected ambushes could easily shock people into a mentally weak state for weeks. She remembered how Team Seven had been rather silent the week after their escort mission during which they had been ambushed. It was many years ago now, but she still remembered the boy Haku and his not-so-sweet friend Zabuza. Her parents had helped her through the shock back at home.

Putting a smile on her lips, she neared Iraki's bed.

"I am sure you must be hungry. Your body uses a lot of energy to heal. You need to fill your energy storage," she said, her voice mild and sweet. Iraki reacted and turned his face to hers. A new voice. A new face. He had not seen her before. His thoughts were easy for Sakura to read through his wide blue eyes. He said nothing, only nodded in agreement. Ken caught a nurse passing through the hallway and asked her to bring the patient some food.

"How are you feeling?" Sakura continued, still gaining that curious gaze from the man before her. He was not as old as she had expected. He was no more than in his mid-twenties. His long, blonde tresses were pulled back into a ponytail, and his chin was slightly stubbly from negligence. He reminded her weakly of that Akatsuki-member with the clay bird, only that Iraki was far more masculine than the now deceased criminal.

Sakura noticed how Iraki's lips tugged into a weak smile.

"Good, I think," he whispered, his voice hoarse. "What about Yaya and Kanato?"

"We just finished tending to them. Their states are still very serious, but they are no longer in danger. If everything goes well, Kanato will have healed in two weeks, and Yaya in four – maybe five," Sakura replied, seeing as the man's expression lightened up by the news.

Iraki's food was served; the nurse pulled forth a small table onto which she placed the tray. She then left.

"Sakura," said Ken and drew her attention. "Will you feed Iraki while I tend to the others?" Sakura nodded with a smile. She usually did not do nurse jobs, but Iraki seemed to like her. The door was shut behind Ken, and Sakura directed her focus upon the tray before her. The menu consisted of a warm potato soup with pieces of chicken and carrots, a glass of water, a sliced apple, and a small piece of cake. Sakura had forgotten to eat, she remembered, as her own stomach growled. It was far past midday, she realized when she threw a look on the clock on the wall.

"What do you want first, Iraki-sensei?" Sakura asked as she went to the small toilet to wash her hands. Iraki gave her a slight smile when she returned.

"Soup," he answered, his voice not as hoarse as before. Sakura sat down, lifted the bowl and filled a spoon. The man opened his mouth obediently for each spoonful Sakura reached out to him. He seemed very hungry, Sakura mused as soon as she realized the bowl was nearly empty.

"Water, please," Iraki said once Sakura had put the bowl down. The man drank generously, leaving only a few mouthfuls in the glass. "Thank you. I am full now." Sakura stood up and picked up the tray.

"Do you want to save the rest for later?" she asked, referring to the fruit and cake still lying untouched on the tray.

"Will you come feed me then?" Iraki asked back, a glint in his eyes. Sakura could not help but smile.

"Of course," she said. The man approved with a single nod. Sakura brought the tray with her as she left the room. Just before she closed the door behind her, she was stopped.

"Sakura," Iraki said. Sakura turned to him with curious eyes. "Thank you." The man's last words were warm and full of thought, and for a moment Sakura felt her heart jump. Such a warmth was not something she was used to, especially not after the war during which most of her beloved ones has deceased. Iraki's words made Sakura smile happily as she closed the door behind her and left.

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Sighing, Itachi rose to feet. The wooden floor beneath him creaked in the process, reminding him of the poor quality of his temporary home. Even the Akatsuki headquarters had been better despite being build into a mountainside. Sometimes, he admitted, he missed having his own private quarters, isolated from the rest of the world, with only his colleagues nearby. The insomnia, which he had suffered from ever since his early teen years, was worse than ever. The feeling of safety and stability had been lost along with the rest of the organization; not that the other members provided him a feeling of security, but their hideout itself had been his best home for years. Now, he had none.

The city around him had been active for a few hours now, and he guessed the clock neared morning. There was no need for him to stay in the room, doing nothing. He needed a way to earn money if he should have any hope of staying indoors the next week, and remain in possession of a bed. Although he rarely slept, having a somewhat spongy mattress did help him the few times he was able to drift into a light, uncomfortable slumber.

Dressed in his dark clothes and a pair of sandals, he left the motel. He needed no disguise; the moment he left the room, he changed his appearance into one of a woman. Although he had never been in Suna during his time as an Akatsuki-member, he knew word had gone around. People would recognize him in his true form. And whilst the Kazekage had been assaulted by Akatsuki before, he knew no former member of the organization was welcome in the city. He did not mind it, though. It seemed to him that everything was a bit easier with a pair of breasts and long and curly red hair. His womanly form was not too attractive, for his intention was to avoid too much attention, yet he could still bring forth an undeniable charm if he needed to manipulate someone into doing something. This would help him in his quest of earning for a living. He knew just where to begin.

The only times he really felt alive was when his life was at stake. He would resume his job as an assassin and spy for rent. The first period after the war, nobody had wished more bloodshed, but Itachi was an expert in reading his surroundings. People had started to hate each other again; politicians, feudal lords, and people with enough money to pay for a kill or two. Assassinating was a profitable job, but it was a challenge to start such a career in a whole new country. People would not contact you until word about you was out, and rumors said that you were trustworthy. Itachi had not yet created such reputation in Suna. But he would start now.

Slipping through the streets, he disappeared into a small alleyway. As a ninja always should, he had spent the first nights checking out the area close to his motel, for escape routes and hiding places. And sources of work out of the reach of the law. He knew the perfect place to start rumors. Starting early just gave his associates more time to spread the word about him before they would drink themselves tired and forget it. After today the local drunkards would know about him. In a few days word about him would have reached every bar in town. In a week most common people would have heard about him. In less than three weeks the rich people would know where to contact him.

The moment he grabbed the door handle, his appearance changed again, this time into a middle-aged man just like all the others sitting in the bar. Scouting for familiar faces from the night before, he was pleased to find the very man Sakura had defeated in arm wrestling. Slipping onto a chair by the man's side, Itachi ordered a beer.

"Word goes, my friend," began the criminal with his deep voice. "They say you were defeated by a _woman_ the other night." He faked detest in his voice. It was easy. The man by his side turned to him, his eyes flashing with anger.

"The damned bitch was some sort of ninja!" he exclaimed, his hands whipping through the air to illustrate his anger. Itachi let a brow rise in disbelief.

"That is what I thought," Itachi then said, smirking provocatively. "They said you would defend yourself off with tales about the woman. Surely no woman, let alone a _ninja_, would move into one of these places. I have heard they despise ordinary people." He took a sip of the beer.

"I am telling the truth," the man continued. "Just as I was about to win she did some sort of witchery and smashed my hand against the table. You should have been there! Such a puny woman could never be stronger than I without cheating." Itachi nodded incredulously and drank again.

"Is she new here? I am sure such a woman would make fiends in no time," Itachi pointed out casually. The other man nodded.

"I have not seen her before. She must be new in town. I mean, she has goddamned _pink_ hair! That is not something I have seen here in Suna before," the man said and emptied his glass, ordering a new drink as he did.

"Do you think she will be missed?" Itachi asked, filling his words with an unspoken message which the other man instantly intercepted into his still sober mind. A devious smile spread on his broad rough lips.

"You suggest I show her a lesson or two about behaviour?" he grunted.

"I suggest that you pay someone else to do it. If she really _is_ a ninja, _I_, personally, would not wish to try anything with her. A hired kill would be the most secure." The broad man by his side took some time to think and shrugged.

"I do not know. I think killing her might be a bit too much. I just want her punished – and my wallet back," he said, his voice now lower and thoughtful. Itachi had known that the man by his side was not the type who really wished someone dead – and if he did, he would not have the money to pay for it.

"I see," Itachi answered, pulling forth a piece of paper from his pocket. "My uncle's wife left him and took his entire fortune in the process. He had her killed off by a local guy. My uncle told me to advertise. The guy should be a professional. Highly recommended." Itachi downed the contents of his glass and stood up, handing the man the piece of paper.

"This is where you can find him in case you change your mind about the woman. Or perhaps if you know someone who might need some help."

"Thanks," the man mumbled and looked back over his shoulder as Itachi left the bar.

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_Itachi, you sneaky man! Shameless self-advertising, don't you think? ;)_

_Thank you for reading!_

_Comment? Critique? Please do leave a review! :)_


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